


Glimpses and Miracles

by AMidnightDreary



Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Canon Divergence - Avengers: Endgame (Movie), Feels, Happy Ending, M/M, Reunions
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-08
Updated: 2020-03-08
Packaged: 2021-02-28 21:55:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 829
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23064346
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AMidnightDreary/pseuds/AMidnightDreary
Summary: Loki stumbles out of a portal right into a war zone.
Relationships: Loki & Peter Parker & Tony Stark, Loki & Thor (Marvel), Loki/Tony Stark
Comments: 31
Kudos: 373





	Glimpses and Miracles

**Author's Note:**

> I have so many feelsy oneshots, it's getting problematic.

They catch glimpses of each other during the battle. Glances that dream of being unashamed stares, stolen between moments of almost-dying and barely-surviving. They don't have time for more. 

Loki stumbled out of a portal right into a war zone, and after five years of dust and hazy nothingness, fighting is a relief. His hands still remember how to throw knives, even though his mind is still lagging behind, not properly awake yet. Concentrating on other things.

Glimpses of red and gold. In a way, they are the only thing that keeps Loki alive. They give him something to fight for, something to return to. The possibility of  _ returning _ is an odd one, and Loki isn't sure if he likes it. He thought himself dead for years; that's hard to shake off. 

Somehow, the battle ends. The infinity stones are safe in the hands of that odd woman who seems to have power instead of blood, and without them Thanos can be beaten. Loki almost misses Anthony putting an end to the Mad Titan’s existence because he is so focused on Anthony himself. 

Thanos’ army is easily taken care of, stunned and shocked as they are. It doesn’t take long until the Avengers and their allies are the only living beings in the no-man’s-land that was once the new the new Avengers compound. 

Loki can barely stand. His ears are ringing, and he’s pretty sure that there is blood running out of one of them. He got a rather heavy hit against the head at some point during the last hours; that must be the reason. There are a few stab and bullet wounds, too, scattered over his dirty body. Nothing life threatening, but lying or at least sitting down would probably be a good idea, just to give his admittedly drained magic time to heal his wounds. His hands are, once again, full of blood that isn’t his own.

Loki doesn’t sit down. He looks around, his frantic eyes too fast for his sluggish body - the adrenaline is wearing off. He doesn’t see Anthony. He doesn’t see Anthony. He doesn’t -

_ Gods, _ there he is. Red and gold, flying over the ruins and the ashes, flying  _ toward _ Loki. And Loki makes himself move, wants to meet him halfway, and soon - not soon enough - Anthony lands on the ground just a few steps away. They both run these last steps and crash into each other hard enough that the impact knocks the air out of Loki’s lungs, but who cares about air, anyway?

Anthony’s armour bleeds off his body, back into its casing, and Loki holds him even tighter. His hands dig into Anthony’s back, desperate to feel the warmth of him; maybe they’ll leave bruises. Anthony doesn’t seem to mind. He is trembling a little, his breaths ragged next to Loki’s ear, and yes, Loki’s eyes are stinging, too. He’s too exhausted to cry. Anthony is the first warm thing he has felt in  _ years, _ and every single one of those ragged breaths is a miracle. His heartbeat is a masterpiece.  _ Alive, alive, alive; _ Loki’s own heart pumps that thought through his veins until it sinks deeper and starts to taste like truth.  _ Alive. _

“I love you,” Anthony says, his voice wrecked. “Shit, Loki. I  _ love you.” _

Loki nods. It takes every ounce of willpower he has, but he pulls back a little to look at Anthony. He has aged. Odd, how many silver streaks five years can weave into a human’s hair. Loki has never seen and will never see anything more beautiful.

“I love you, too,” he whispers, resting his forehead against Anthony’s. He tries to catch his breath.

“You look like shit,” Anthony says.

Somehow, it makes them both laugh. Giddy, almost hysteric. They are still clutching each other, afraid to let go again. They stay where they are for a small eternity, holding each other and laughing, trying to stay on their feet. Anthony looks about as exhausted as Loki feels. Neither of them really knows what to do, how to pick up where they left five years ago, but right now, this is enough. They are still on a battlefield, there’s still work to be done. 

“Where is Thor?” Anthony asks, wiping his eyes. “Have you seen him? He’s gone half insane with you gone, too, he missed you so much -”

_ Brother. _ The thought of Thor makes Loki’s throat tighten. He’s already nodding; he wants to see Thor, too. He is distracted by something he sees behind Anthony, though. “Your child,” he says, nodding into Peter’s direction. “You need to talk to your child.”

“He is not  _ my _ child.”

“Oh, he definitely is.”

“Mr. Stark! Mr. Stark, look at this, can I keep -”

“Kid, what are you doing? Don’t touch that.”

“But Mr. Stark, it’s alien techno -”

“Pete, I swear to god.”

“Loki, tell him it’s safe! Please!”

“Keep me out of this, would you?"

"BROTHER! ARE YOU WELL?!"

_ Yes,  _ Loki thinks.  _ I'm back. _


End file.
